The Steadfast Love of God
STEADFAST: From loyalty or constant unswerving dedication to something or someone.
BIBLE READING: PSALM 36; 1 JOHN 4
When you look at the meaning of “Steadfast” you can understand why David said he takes refuge in God’s steadfast love. God has an unswerving dedication to His children, nothing and no one can ever change or take away His love from us. This love is immovable, irrefutable, unchangeable, unalterable, completely and utterly dependable. It is a love that can never betray; you can put your trust in it and it will never fail you. It is the kind of Love that forgives and never refers to my sins again. Always thinking the best of me even when I fail and always waiting with open arms when I regret my actions and repent. A love that chastises me when necessary, even though He also feels the pain of the punishment with me because He knows, if I continue on the path I am treading it will only lead to my destruction. A Love that will do whatever it takes (even giving His own life) to make sure my life is everlasting!!!!
It is the depth of this amazing Love that makes me want to do better in my relationship with God. When I gave my life to Jesus Christ, a seed of this Agape love was planted in me. As I began my walk with Him, the Holy Spirit started explaining this love to me. The more I studied the Word, the more I found all I wanted to do was respond back to Him in love. Sin became detestable, not because my flesh did not desire it, but because I knew sin would be a betrayal of His love for me. He had sacrificed so much for me, even Himself and every time I sinned, it was as if I was making a mockery of what He had done for me. I have experienced betrayal before and it is not a very nice experience. The person who betrayed me could not even give me a patch of skin if I needed a skin graft and I couldn’t give them any either, but it cut really deep when I learnt of the betrayal. Can you imagine how it would feel if someone you could give your life for suddenly turned round and betrayed you? I think the closest example we can use, is the betrayal of a much loved spouse (I had to qualify spouse because some marriages are marriages of convenience and even then, I think the betrayed spouse will still feel hurt). I guess that is why the Bible refers to us as the Bride of Christ, because that is the best way our minds can process this relationship. God called the Israelites adulterers so many times through the prophets because He sees sin as adultery. Exodus 20:14 says “You shall not commit adultery”, Proverbs 6:32 says “But a man who commits adultery has no sense, whoever does so destroys himself”and there are so many Scriptures like this in the Bible. While so many of us look at it as adultery between a man and a woman, it is actually God and the spouse that the offence has been committed against, not just the spouse. A Christian marriage is a man and a woman joined together by God to become one entity; it is a covenant between man, woman and God becoming one. So, when you bring someone who is not part of this covenant into the relationship, you have broken your vows to God because you swore to Him it would only be a union between you, your spouse and God. The Israelites went into a covenant to worship Him alone all the days of their lives and broke this promise when they started worshipping other gods, which was why He called them Adulterers. Paul says we are members of Christ’s body because we are now joined with Him in a covenant, like that of marriage, and so, should never give ourselves to the desires of the flesh (prostitution).
O how betrayal hurts and may we never experience betrayal from a loved one in the mighty name of Jesus Christ. But you see, in spite of how much it hurts, God’s steadfast love for us never ceases when we betray Him. He has given us an assurance that if we confess our sins and repent (make a 180 degree turn back to focusing on Him), He will forgive our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). He never brings up the sin ever again, He wipes our slate clean of the offence and once again we take refuge in His loving arms. I wrote on repentance a few weeks ago, go back and read it. A repentant heart does not repeat the sin committed again, he walks away and never looks back at the sin.
A child of God cannot continue to live in sin, it is an anomaly because the Love of God does not allow it.
UNDER GRACE UNDER MERCY
ATINUKE OLASHORE